Build and install your own AUX Cable!

[DWSMGS117]

in-car tunes responded that there are two diffrent dsp radios out there and their cable works with one just plug and play the other may require resistors and cap. like sk93 wrote I added them and all works great now. Thanks sk93.

If anyone bought the cable allready made up and no aux appears add the resistor and capacitators like sk93 shows and AUX should appear. Atleast they did for me.

 

[Kaide]

Although I really wanna do this myself, its stressing me too much to worry about it. I was looking at this cable from BMW... I know its $40, however, it also looks like there is something in the middle of it, I'm hoping its a capacitor and resistor. Do you guys know if this will work?

 

[sk93]

sorry for not replying sooner to all your woes!
I was away in the costa del golf enjoying the heat and laughing at everyone in england enjoying the snow..muhaha.. :evil:

Siftah, glad you got there in the end - i guess it does mean we need some caps.. maybe it's about providing a solid base signal across the wires, rather than filtering the noise?
hmm.. i'll read up on that link you sent.

Kaide, you should go for it youself!
but looking at that cable, I'd guess it would work... it certainly has something in the middle.
However, you may have to mess around with the pin order in the radio-side plug, as unless it specifies the Z4, you may find the pins aren't in the right slots... but that's still less messing around than soldering

 

[craig3.2]

Great how to guide,ppl.
tho i am doing mine the dearer way(kind of),as i got a connects kit from my other half at xmas,and will kinstall it asap. this gives me full control thru stereo and charges my ipod also/so b good when i get time and weather to do it!
wil post info as to how good this kit is when fitted.

well done for finding a cheaper,and good alternative for aux connecter

 

[Kaide]

So, I got the cable from BMW. Sk was right, the pins needed to be arranged. However when I'm playing music through it I don't get any bass! It works fine with radio, just nothng with the iPod. Any ideas? Please help.

 

[sk93]

ipods EQ set to spoken word or similar?

i assume you've checked the bass setting for aux on the radio?

 

[Kaide]

ipods EQ set to spoken word or similar?

i assume you've checked the bass setting for aux on the radio?

Nope, tried with two ipods and get same thing... and yes, but I get no source to the sub. It works fine with the radio, just not with aux cable.

I forget what order the pins were in when originally, however, being in spots 3,4,10 gives no bass... Looking at another forum, some guy has it installed like this...
NOT MINE It looks like they are in pins 3,4,9. Thoughts?

 

[sk93]

it could be that you've got the left/right chanels the wrong way around?
The pins are definately 3,4 & 10. see here:
http://www.z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=15087&start=30#p237084

 

[Kaide]

it could be that you've got the left/right chanels the wrong way around?
The pins are definately 3,4 & 10. see here:
http://www.z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=15087&start=30#p237084

I tried all combinations of those pins... the red and blue wires have to be in slots 3,4. if i put the brown one in it, i dont get aux at all. I refered to that diagram 30 different times, I believe they need to be 3,4,10. but what I was saying was in the picture it looks like 3,4,9.

Sucks I cant get at it again until monday...

 

[sk93]

but what I was saying was in the picture it looks like 3,4,9.

You're forgetting to count the two pins that sit outside of that plug! (left side of the plug as you look at in that picture).

edit: in this pic, i've highlighted the two pins (6 & 12) that are not easy to see, but are shown in your pic - and more importantly, sit outside of the plug - thus throwing you

 

[Kaide]

but what I was saying was in the picture it looks like 3,4,9.

You're forgetting to count the two pins that sit outside of that plug! (left side of the plug as you look at in that picture).

Doh! However, still doesnt fix my issue.... Looks like even after I paid for the cable i'm going to have to make my own anyway :x

 

[sk93]

However, still doesnt fix my issue.... Looks like even after I paid for the cable i'm going to have to make my own anyway :x

I'm not 100% convinced the cable is the fault
I assume the end of the aux lead is a socket, rather than a plug?
which would mean you need a seperate "patch" lead to go from the socket to the iPod headphone socket?

have you tried swapping out that patch lead? I found with mine that the first cable I used was flakey and depending on how I twisted and wound the cable changed the volume and clarity of the sound..

 

[Kaide]

not yet, i'd have to buy another one. It may be that, but it is a brand new stereo male/male cable. I think I have a 20ft laying around the house, I could try it with that before i go buy another one. I'll let you know, but if this is the issue I'm gonna be pissed it was something this easy.

 

[sk93]

could also be the sockets themselves thinking about it... try "wiggling" the cable whilst playing some music and see if the bass returns?

 

[Kaide]

it working.... I'd rather not admit what it was, but it was nothing more than me being stupid

Thanks for all the help sk93,

 

[sk93]

LOL.. come on.. share what it was

and you're very welcome!

 

[Kaide]

The connector has numbers on it... well I failed to connect the dots and realize pin 10 on the connector was actually pin 11 on the radio. 3 and 4 were right, but putting the aux ground into nav/tv audio - isn't going to accomplish anything.

 

[sk93]

.. lol.. well... glad you got there in the end!

 

[Siftah]

Oops, my notification must have died on this thread or I'd have posted back before!

Glad you also got it working! How's the sound quality? Mine's really bad, lots of noise and quite low volume, think I'm going to have another go at building a cable and try and use better caps this time (tantalum rather than the polybox).

(It's just started snowing again outside so I'm not trying it yet anyway!)

For reference, this is the pin in the existing cable and the plug that it sits inside, apologies for the blurry picture:

 

[Muzz]

Having some issues removing the vents, get them to pop out of their clips but they will only come out about half way, enough so I can get a screwdriver in to remove the headunit, but not all the way out. Refitted them and now they do not fit flush with the dash trim, have I buggered them?